Muffins - Loki & Ylva alternate universe stories

Muffins VII

A mortal girl has the vanity to refuse him, the prince of Asgard! He is a master of magic, she is nothing more than a waitress, a lowly servant who should be grateful he even looks her way! If he wants her, she has to be at his beck and call, not the other way around! He could make her forget everything, if he wanted. He could charm her, give her a taste of her own medicine.
Yet Loki doesn't want that; this is not how he truly feels, how embarrassing that may be to admit.
She's not working the next day, he checked. And he has waited for over an hour, but she's not coming to the rooftop after dinner either. Loki has no idea how to go from here. She has been clear enough: she doesn't want to see him again. Maybe he has to leave it at that and ignore the gnawing feeling inside his chest.

"Did the cat eat your canary?" Thor is looking at him from the door to his room, leaning against the doorpost with his big arms crossed.

Loki doesn't look up from his position on the bed. He is lying on top of the covers, his hands folded behind his head. "I'm pretty sure that is not the correct saying."

"It is the correct sentiment," Thor replies wittily. "The past few weeks you were gone almost every night; Heimdall only knows where you went! But every time you came back you were happy and relaxed. And suddenly that is all gone. What happened?"

"Nothing." Loki stares at the ceiling, avoiding to look at Thor.

"It must be something." Thor can be headstrong if he wants to. "Is it about that girl, Ylva?"

Loki kicks his legs up and sits up on the bed. "I don't want to talk about it! Get off my back."

"Fine, have it your way." Thor shrugs and turns away from the door. "Are you coming? We are expected at Stark Tower."

They walk to Stark Tower in silence. Loki hopes to steer clear of the coffee shop, though Thor has set a straight course for Coffee & Books. When Loki wants to walk past the entrance, Thor grabs his arm. "Wait a minute, I promised the others I would bring a snack."

Loki shakes his brother's hand off. "Can't you get it somewhere else?"

"You know very well they have the best muffins in town," Thor argues and he opens the door to go in. "You coming?"

The God of Mischief shakes his head. "I'll wait here." He turns his back to the shop window and digs his hands in his pockets, though after a minute or so he can't help to look inside. Ylva is working, she is packing up an order for Thor. Her jaw is clenched and those muffins go in the box with a little more force than necessary.

When Thor comes outside again, he is carrying a large white box with the Coffee & Books logo on it in one hand and a large coffee in the other. He smirks at his brother. "Oh, she is mad all right! I didn't get you a drink because I was afraid she was gonna spit in it."

"She wouldn't do that," Loki mumbles before glancing inside. He catches Ylva looking at him with hard eyes and her lips forming a thin line, before she turns away.

"I don't know what you did to mess things up with her," Thor remarks casually, blowing the steam off his hot coffee, "but that is one scorn lover!"

"She is not my lover, she never was," Loki replies quickly, a slight sting in his chest at the mention of the l-word.

"She's not?" Thor looks genuinly surprised. "You sure, brother? For a woman to get this mad, she has to care first."

"I don't want to talk about it," Loki says through clenched teeth. He picks up his pace and walks a few steps in front of the God of Thunder the rest of the way. He tries hard not to think about his brother's words, though that is nearly impossible.